Pilgrim Springs - Small's Swamp Trails, Truro MA

     I was already in Truro so after finishing The Pamet Area I thought I might as well check out The trails at Pilgrim Heights, which is also part of The National Seashore. There are two short trails that were easy to find off Rte 6 going towards P-Town  thanks to the big sign on the highway. The road brings you right to the huge parking lot. Pilgrim Spring Trail and Small’s Swamp are right next to each other. They are to the right of an interpretive shelter that provides historical information of the area.

     Pilgrim Springs Trail is to the right and I went there first. The trail  heads into the woods on a wide dirt path. The trail gets narrow as it leads you up a hill with bushes on both sides. The top of the hill provides a picturesque view of East Harbor Creek, Pilgrim Lake, sand dunes, marsh and The Atlantic Ocean. The trail then gets smaller as it brings you down steps to a clearing with a stone marker that identifies the spot where it is believed The Pilgrims first found fresh water. To the left of the marker is a bike path, to the right the trail heads back into the woods and ends up at the restrooms on the other side of the parking lot where I parked.

    
 Small’s Swamp Trail brings you up and down hills, some with steps, around the remains of Thomas Smalls farm and the kettle swamp. After walking down a hill the trail splits, I went left and down a steep hill with built in steps The trail at times is bordered by wood and leads to a boardwalk before heading back uphill and some fabulous views. Different looks at The Ocean, swamp, sand dunes and lake can also be seen at numerous spots along the trail. Looping back into the woods the trail  brings you back to  where the trail had split and back up to the parking area;
     On the signs Pilgrims was listed as 0.3 miles and Small’s 0.7 but my pedometer had both at 1 mile. So my short easy walk, because my back was hurting and I was starting to come down with what ended up becoming bronchitis, turned into 7+ miles up and down steep hills. In other words a GREAT DAY !!!


Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - Off Rte 6 - Pilgrim Heights sign
Parking -  5 - Huge parking area
Length-  4 -  Even both together are short but hills make up for length
Degree of Difficulty- 4 - hills but many parts have steps
Extras-  4 - Historical - not far from P-Town
Trail Markings-  3 - None but really not needed
Trail Maintenance- 5 - excellent
Variation - 3 - 2 loops - not much
Scenic  - 5 - Spectacular
Worth Returning - 4 - Yes to check out the different seasons
Surface -  pine needles, dirt, board walk, steps, sand
Map -   no
Beach -   no
Facilities - yes
What I liked -  The history and the views
What I didn’t - length

Rating 42 out of 50

Pamet Area Trail System, Truro MA

      Just after saying how hiking in the hot summer was much better than the cold winter we got hit with a wicked hot spell. So what do I do I end up doing. Hike farther each of those days that were over 90 degrees and humid, Just after pushing my friends grandson in a stroller and getting lost in a maze of streets all named Captain Something and turning what should have been a 2 mile walk into 6 miles. I decide to drive to Truro to get another Cape Cod town under my belt. My back hurting from bending over pushing the stroller and starting to come down with what would turn out to be “ flu-like symptoms “,  I was looking for a nice easy trail. Of course I picked one with steep hills and soft beach sand. Even with that  The Pamet Area Trail System turned out to be the right choice. WOW !!!

      Easy to find off Rte 6, take the Truro Center Pamet Rd exit and then follow North Pamet Rd to the end. There is parking on the right side next to The Environmental  Education Center that serves as a Youth Hostel in the summer.
The Pamet Area Trail Systems is part Of The National Seashore and has three trails, Bearberry Hill, Bog House and The Overlooks that connect to each other.  The trail starts across the street from the parking area and heads into the woods. Trail markers are numbered and are keyed to the trail guide. The trail winds around and heads up a hill eventually coming out of the woods and leading to Bearberry Hill. Walking up the hill and looking to your right you can see a fantastic view of  the beach and The Atlantic Ocean. A sign points the way to each trail. Bearberry has two summits so I headed up the east summit first. The hill is steep and the view is SPECTACULAR !!! There were some narrow trails on the other side of the summit - I went down one on the way back but it looked like it led to private property so I went back up to the main trail and the west summit. Overlooking the old cranberry bog, the woods and hills of Truro this view is also awesome!!  Both summits have a wooden platform and an information stand. Before getting to the west summit you pass the trail that leads to The Bog & Overlooks. There is also a very narrow trail that leads back to the start of the hike. Once I found that out I walked back to check out the other trails.
      The trail leads down a path with steps and has bushes on both sides before heading up into the woods. Coming out of the woods the trail marker points left and you head down a wide sandy path that used to be Old Kings Highway. This was the road stagecoaches would use to get from Boston to Provincetown. As you head down the path you can see the ocean up ahead. To get there you walk past the trail that leads to The Bog House and go up and down a steep dune. The beach is endless in both directions bordered by cliffs and the ocean. I walked down to put my feet in the freezing water and as I got there I saw a seal bobbing up and down in the water about 30 yards away, checking me out. Pretty Awesome !! After my new buddy left I headed back to the dunes and the Bog House Trail. This trail was narrow through the oak and pine woods with some steep hills. Once again there were steps to make it easier. The Bog House is still standing and has a big yard. You really can’t tell there was ever a cranberry bog there. The houses front door is on the second floor with no stairs. You can look through the windows and see that they are doing some sort of construction. To get back you can walk away from the house up a wide path that brings you to North Pamet Road where you can go left and back to the parking area. I went back the way I came to make the hike about 5 miles and what a great hike it was.

         
     More pics on Favebook

Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - Off Rte 6 at the end of North Pamet Rd
Parking -  5 - Next to Old Coast Guard Station for more than 10 cars
Length-  5 - Five miles and can add even more with beach
Degree of Difficulty- 4 - Some hills but most the tougher areas have steps
Extras-  4 - Beach, Not far from Truro Vineyards, and Ptown
Trail Markings- 5 - Excellent
Trail Maintenance- 5 - Excellent
Variation - 5 -  3 trails to choose from and endless beach
Scenic  - 5 - WOW
Worth Returning -5  YES
Surface - Grass, Pine Needles, Sand
Map -  yes
Beach -   yes
Facilities - no
What I liked - It was so different than any other trail on The Cape
What I didn’t - It is a long ride from my house so I can’t hike it as often as I would like.

Rating 48 out of 50

Boyden Farm & Murkwood Conservation Area, Sandwich MA.

    A few days after hiking Lowell Holly Reservation in Mashpee, I decided to head back that way and hike George Ryder Conservation Area. They are right next to each other and I wanted to check it out. I went down 6A to Quaker Meetinghouse Rd. then to Cotuit Rd. and pulled into the big parking area. I mistakenly pulled into Boyden Farm Conservation Area, which I forgot is before Ryder. I figured why not do this one since I would be doing it eventually anyway.
     I noticed 2 trailheads at each end of the parking lot that has room for well over 20 cars. Seeing that I knew it was a loop trail. Maps are available at the Town hall but of course I didn’t bother. No fun if you can’t get lost once in a while. (Lol) I started on the left trail and headed into the thick woods away from the road at a slight angle before it seemed to head back towards Cotuit Rd. The narrow trail turned into a carriage road and again headed away from the road with a neighborhood on the left. The trail got narrow again as it went down a hill that ended up at what turned out to be Peters Pond. There was a nice beach a little further to the right but the trail didn’t seem to bring me to it. I went back up the hill and followed the trail that was now looping back to the other entrance on the opposite side of the parking lot. On the way back  I saw an opening that went into a big field. I saw a carriage road to my left and took it down to Peters Pond, past cottages to the main beach. I headed back and went back to the trail that did bring me back to the parking lot.

   The trail was about 2 ½ miles so I decided I would stop at Murkwood Conservation Area on the way back to Yarmouth. The entrance to the parking area that is more like a small field is on the north side of Rte 6A. There is a new trail sign on a telephone pole that heads into the woods. The trail is narrow and curves around and gives a choice of going left or right. I always seem to go left and I did again. The level trail goes over a boardwalk and follows around Scorton Creek Marsh eventually leading to some fantastic views of the marsh and Cape Cod Bay. The trail loops back to where there was a choice of left and right. There is also a trail that cuts through the middle. This worked out good as I added another 1.75 miles to my daily hike and added 2 more trails to my list.

Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - Murkwood on 6A and Boyden on Cotuit Rd
Parking -  5 - 20+ at both
Length-  3 - Together they are a 5 but separately not long enough
Degree of Difficulty- 5-  both pretty easy with some hills at Boyden
Extras-  4 - Other parks in the area
Trail Markings- 3- None but don’t really need them
Trail Maintenance- 5 - No problems
Variation - 3 - Loop trails with cut across trails
Scenic  - 3 - Both ended up surprising me
Worth Returning - 4 - Together a nice hike
Surface - Roots, Pine needles
Map - no for Boyden  - but I found one for Murkwood after I did it
Beach -   yes
Facilities - no
What I liked - Both places I didn’t know the trail led to nice views
What I didn’t - No Markings --- until I realized it didn’t matter

Rating 40 out of 50

Lowell Holly, Mashpee MA

       July has been nice on Cape Cod, mostly hot and sunny. Friends have asked if it is hard to walk/hike everyday when it is so hot and humid. Let me tell you it is so much easier now than it was in the winter. Going on 9 months and I have lost close to 90 lbs and 8 inches.
      There are many trails in each of the Cape towns. I decided to go to a trail in a new town. I decided on Mashpee and Lowell Holly Reservation. The Cape is packed in the summer, even more so on the weekends. Sundays Rte 6, the Mid-Cape Highway, can be backed up many exits with so many tourists heading home. I didn’t want to take a chance on sitting in bumper to bumper traffic so I took 6A. Starting in Yarmouth I drove through Barnstable and into Sandwich and took Quaker Meetinghouse Rd. to Cotuit Rd where I took a left and looked for south Sandwich Rd. On the way I passed some Sandwich trails I hadn’t hiked yet. Murkwood Conservation Area on 6A. On Cotuit Rd I passed Boyden Farm Conservation Land and Ryder Conservation Land. The main entrance to Ryder is actually just before Lowell Holly on South Sandwich.
       Lowell Holly has two parking areas - one that is year round (6 cars) and another that is seasonal (20 cars). Parking at the seasonal cuts off about half the trail, so I parked at the year round lot. The heavily rooted trail leads up hills into thick woods and starts out wide enough for two people. The trail connects to carriage roads and leads to a sandy beach on Wakeby Pond and the seasonal parking area. The trail brought me to a couple of small beach areas before becoming very narrow as I headed back into the woods. There was a walking bridge made of wood planks on logs to help walk through a swamp area. There were a few steep hills as the trail brought me around the peninsula to Conumet Point which juts out into Wakeby Pond. Walking back brought me to the other side of the peninsula and Mashpee Pond. I could see the pond off and on through the thick woods. The trail which was not always tree covered looped back to the main trail which turned into a carriage road and brought me back to the beach side and the trail that would bring me back to my car. On the way back I noticed a couple of side trails but I just stayed on the main trail which was marked by red  or white squares on some of the trees.
       A nice hike on a hot summer day. I thought of jumping in the inviting lake but I didn’t want to stop and I didn’t want to walk back through the woods all wet. Next time I will enjoy a nice swim. Lowell Holly is a place you can tell your friends to - Take A Hike - and - Go Jump In A Lake.

                                                         
Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - Exit 3 south on Quaker Meetinghouse - left on Cotuit - right on S Sandwich
Parking -  5 - year round  6 - Seasonal  20
Length-  5 - As long as you park at year round area
Degree of Difficulty- 4 - Some tough hills
Extras-  4 - Other Conservation Areas - Beach - Boating - Fishing
Trail Markings- 4 - Not bad but could be better
Trail Maintenance-   4 - boardwalks could be better
Variation - 3 - Pretty much up and back
Scenic  - 5 - The ponds are beautiful
Worth Returning - 5 - No doubt
Surface - Roots, Pine needles, Sand, walking bridge, muck
Map - yes
Beach -   yes
Facilities - port o potties at seasonal parking
What I liked - I like the woods being surrounded by the ponds and the great views
What I didn’t - Needs a little work on the boardwalks on the Wakeby side of the peninsular where it’s swampy

Rating 44 out of 50

Barclay Ponds, Chatham Ma.

Barclay Pond Trails, The Triangle & No Name - Chatham MA.

     I hadn’t tried any Chatham trails, so I figured a busy summer weekend would be the perfect time to go. I noticed in my research that Barclay Ponds Trail was off of Queen Anne Road. I could go back roads all the way there so I wouldn’t have to deal with the heavy tourist traffic. I noticed a sign that read - Cooperative Conservation Project by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Town of Chatham. I decided to check it out and drove down the dirt road to a small parking area with another sign - Chatham Conservation Area at a trail head. I started up the dirt trail into the woods, that was wide enough for two people. I passed a trail on my right and kept going straight until I had to go left or right. Going left brings you out to some houses and a wider dirt road. Going right brings you up and down hills to the street and back up to the trail I had first passed. The trail was about 3.5 miles long.

     
         I decided to see if I could find the trail I came to hike so I kept going straight on Queen Anne. I didn’t realize Queen Anne went right. The road I stayed straight on became Comers Rd. In between Comers and the next intersection, Training Field Rd, I saw another trail with parking for a few cars along the road. Again no name - just a sign - Chatham Conservation Area. I walked into the woods and saw that there was a choice of going left or right. I went left on the narrow trail that brought me out at one turn to the intersection where there was parking alongside the road for a couple more cars. I went back into the woods and ended up following the trail around “The Golden Triangle” . That’s what the area in between the roads that connect to each other Queen Anne, Old Comers and Training Field. The trail was narrow and easy and took about 20 minutes.
     When I got back in my car I took a right on Training Field. It brought me to Old Queen Anne where I took a right to go home when I noticed a small parking lot  that was surrounded by bushes with what looked like a hole in the middle. The hole was the beginning of Barclay Ponds Trail. I know this because when I got home I looked it up. I did this because again there was no sign. What is it with Chatham ? I always thought it was a money town. Come on put up a Sign - Will Ya.
    I went back a few days later to hike Barclay Ponds. Of course there was no map either. I went between the bushes on a narrow trail. Not far in there was a path on the right but I ignored it and stayed on the trail that headed off towards the left. A little further down the trail was another choice, but this time There were signs on a tree. One read Barclays Pond Loop and pointed to the left trail. The other read Mary’s Pond and pointed to a trail that went right. I took the Barclay and followed the narrow trail through the woods that at times came close to the street and others close to the pond. The trail went about ¾ of the way around the pond where it ended and I headed back. I found another parking area on the way back and still don’t know which road it is on. I got back to the trail I was walking and saw that instead of going all the way back to the trees where the signs were, I could take another trail that ended up bringing me to Mary’s Pond which had a few houses on the opposite side. The trail kept going in the woods up and down hills to another pond. This one much bigger with a sign on a tree that read Schoolhouse Pond. This pond seemed to have a beach on the opposite side. I took the wrong trail back and ended up going in circles for a half hour on different paths that went between Schoolhouse Pond and a water shed. Finally I realized all I had to do was face the pond and go right. I retraced my steps and luckily saw the sign on the tree and I was headed back. By Mary’s Pond I saw a trail that went up a steep hill and towards where I figured My car was parked. I was hoping this was the trail that would lead me to the tree that had the pond signs on it. If it was I could take a left to lead be back to the parking area. It turned out it was the first path I saw that was on the right when I first started the hike. Whew !!! I was happy to see m car. Work was tough that night so I told everyone - I got lost in the woods today, the worst part is - I found my way out. lol

Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 3 - No signs so a bit hard to find
Parking -  3 - About 8 at Barclay 3 at Triangle and 4 at No-name
Length-  4 - Barclay and no name are decent and triangle short
Degree of Difficulty- 4 - Barclay has some steep hills - No name some hills and Triangle is easy
Extras-  1 - None
Trail Markings- 1 - None
Trail Maintenance-   4 - could use a little work
Variation - 4- Barclay, plenty - No Name, some - Triangle, none
Scenic  - 2 - Only Barclay with 3 different lakes
Worth Returning - 1- Not likely- glad I did them but no reason to go back
Surface - Pine needles, sand
Map - No
Beach -   No
Facilities - No
What I liked - Good thing they had pond signs on trees
What I didn’t - No Map or Markers

Rating 27 out of 50

Fox Island Marsh & Pilgrim Springs Woodlands Conservation Area.

     
       Day off, no plans, perfect weather. Wellfleet here I come. Since moving back from Florida I have fallen in love with Wellfleet, but had yet to hike one of it’s many trails. I decided on Fox Island Marsh and Pilgrim Springs Woodlands Conservation Area. There are two areas to park- both off Rte 6 - the Baker Road Trailhead is off Way 112 - The other trailhead is on Pilgrim Springs Rd. Coming fro Yarmouth both roads are on the left, with Way 112 first and Pilgrim springs next. The roads are a little less than 2 miles after the entrance to The Marconi Area at The National Seashore . Looking at the map I decided to start at Pilgrim Springs, which is 2/10 of a mile on the left. I picked this one because the trailhead is at one end, while The Baker trailhead looked like it was in the middle.
        Right at the beginning of the narrow trail that led into the thick woods and straight up a hill was an arrow marker on a tree. Always a good sign, I had the map with me and decided I would keep taking the trails to my left. That way I would eventually end up where I started. The trail widened in parts and had some benches along the way that overlooked the marsh thru the trees. All the way there were the arrow markers on the trees. There were a few dirt roads along the way that led to cottages, but the arrows made it easy to stay on the trail. The trail brought me to Whale Bone Point where I saw the beautiful views of Fox island Marsh and Blackfish Creek. It was low tide and I decided to walk along the shore. Since it was summer there was al kinds of small boats moored along the way. I kept walking until I saw what seemed like a private beach and turned back. I didn’t want to bother anyone. I did bother hundreds of the fiddler crabs on the way back and forth.
       I went back into the woods a little further down the marsh than where I had come out. The trail brought me to another dirt road and eventually the much larger parking lot of the Baker Road Trailhead. I followed the arrows back thru the woods and came to a spot where the arrows pointed left and right. My picking left worked and I was brought back down the hill I had first climbed and to my car.
     

     

Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - 2 choices both off Rte 6
Parking -  4 - Pilgrim Springs only room for 3 cars - Baker Road can fit 15 - 20
Length-  5 - about 3.5 round trip but can add more with marsh
Degree of Difficulty- 5 - only a couple of hills
Extras-  4 - Not far from beaches and National Seashore
Trail Markings- 4 - plenty but should have different colors for the different trails
Trail Maintenance-   5 - very good
Variation - 4 - Can mix and match but bring the map
Scenic  - 5- Awesome coming out of forest and seeing the marsh
Worth Returning - 5 - No doubt
Surface - Pine needles, sand
Beach -   No
Facilities - No
What I liked - Forest and Marsh - great diversity
What I didn’t -  The markers could have been better

Rating 46 out of 50

Lake Whitehall State Park, Hopkinton MA.

       
               On the 8th month anniversary of the day I started walking, I had to go Off-Cape. My hometown, Hopkinton, MA., has 2 State Parks and many trails. I had time once I got there to hike Whitehall State Park. The weather was cloudy with some off and on rain when I started. Looking at the map of the trail, which I forgot to take with me, that went around the lake I figured it to be about 6 miles. I took the trail on the west side of the lake that has many inlets and a maze of islands. The trees are huge, so much bigger than The Cape trees. The trail stayed close to the lake, which was on my left, and had houses that could be seen through the heavy woods. Many of the houses had paths leading to them and had canoes and kayaks sitting by the water. The first part of the trail was easy going through the forest with a short walk in a meadow before going back to the woods. The trail was wide enough for 2 - 3 people There were a few small walking bridges, making it easy to get over the many streams leading to the water. Blue arrows with a hiker on them on trees kept me on the right trail as it turned around the lake. I came across a small sitting area where you can read about the history of the area and the site of Hopkinton Springs.
        The rain got heavier and I thought I was further along than I was. The trail became narrow, winding, many more hills. Many of the hills were very steep, with the rain I had to climb more than a few. The bridges got worse and worse. Broken boards on a couple, one bridge was just branches from trees bunched together and eventually just big rocks. I saw another meadow up ahead and walked to it. I followed the mowed path, First to a road, then up another path to a back yard, back towards the woods. I took another path to another road before going back in the woods. I couldn’t find  another hiking arrow. I went back to the 1st road I saw and walked down it this time - still no marker. I walked back to the woods and saw that just before the meadow the trail turned left. I added about 2 miles going back and forth.
         One of my sisters lives across the street from the lake and I kept thinking I would see it from the trail. When I was looking I was still far away. On their marriage certificate my brother in law wrote under occupation - Swashbuckler. My mother was working in the town clerks office at the time and did not see the humor. Lol.  The rain got heavy- Yes I have seen the rain!! My rain jacket gave in - my jeans were waterlogged and the hike got worse and worse. The trail led to out to Pond St. I knew the lake was to the left so I walked over a small bridge. Again I didn’t see an arrow and kept walking on the street in the downpour. When I came to Winter St. I was afraid I would choose the wrong way - It seems I had been doing that all day. Actually lately all my decisions have seemed to be wrong . I turned back and just as I was almost back to the trail I had come out of I saw a marker on a tree in the back yard of the house past the bridge. The marker could have been closer to the road - with my hood on I just missed it.
When I got back on the trail I just stayed close to the water. Looking at the map when I got home - for a while I didn’t think I would ever get there - I added more time by not going straight and meandering through one of the peninsulas. As I got wetter and the trail got tougher I thought I could see the end when I looked over the lake. Nope!! It was like being in line for a Disney ride!! It just seemed to never end. I even thought of ‘borrowing” a canoe and leaving it by the parking lot. (not really} I would have stopped at my sisters if I had seen the house but I never did. Two people were fishing and the look on their faces when they saw me come around the corner was priceless. What a site I was!! I was very happy when I saw my car and very happy I didn’t try this trail earlier. If I had done this none in my 2nd month I might have quit then. I certainly won’t forget my 1st hiking road trip!!

Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - Rte 135, the village Woodville, in Hopkinton Ma
Parking -  5 - Plenty
Length-  5 - Over 6 miles
Degree of Difficulty- 3 - West side is easy. East Side can be tough in spots
Extras-  4- Kayaking, canoeing, fishing
Trail Markings-  3 - Great most of the way, when you really need the markers - uugghh!!
Trail Maintenance-   3 - needs work on some bridges
Variation - 4 - Without trying
Scenic  - 3- Nice lake, would be great in fall
Worth Returning - 4 - On a NICE fall day
Surface - Pine needles, grass, stones, roots, streams, pavement
Beach -   No
Facilities - No
What I liked - Length
What I didn’t - Markers not in place when most needed

Rating 39 out of 50

The Knob, Falmouth MA.

     
        When I first started blogging about the trails I hiked, a friend suggested I do The Knob, a local landmark in Falmouth, a rocky outcropping that overlooks Buzzards Bay and Quissett Harbor. The biggest problem was I never go to Falmouth. I usually head east towards Dennis, Brewster and Eastham. To get to Falmouth you have to go Rte 28 ( the commercial road) which has a ton of traffic and a bunch of traffic lights.
         I needed to go somewhere totally new and it was a perfect day. I new if I was going to The Knob it was better now before the unbearable summer traffic. The directions looked easy - Rte 28 through downtown Falmouth - head towards Woods Hole on Locust and take a right on Woods Hole Rd. Well I drove up and down Locust - past the ferry to Marthas Vineyard, downtown Woods Hole and every street near the water. No Woods Hole Rd.  I had seen Quissett Harbor Rd and took that. At the stop sign I took a left on Quissett Harbor Ave. I should have gone straight at the stop sign. I did eventually and came across the harbor with free parking in a couple of different spots.
         Once I found it I could tell it was going to be great. WOW !! A sign next to the harbor and the private property points you down a path that leads through tall bushes. The trail brings you to an information kiosk where there is a split. The main trail is up stairs to the right and the harbor cliff trail is to the left up another set of stairs. I took the cliff trail which follows the shoreline of the harbor. The trail is narrow with rocks, hills, and roots( natures stairs) winding through thick woods. There are a few small trails that lead to the water, some easy some others you have to climb down. The first one I started going down I saw a guy fishing and didn’t want to bother him so I went to the next one. I had to climb down, holding onto some branches so I wouldn’t fall. I found a nice small secluded beach. I climbed out and went back on the wooded trail that eventually brought me to the main trail that was wider and open with bushes on the sides and a hard sandy surface to walk on. You can take the staircase to the crescent-shaped sandy beach, or stay on the trail that goes across a narrow causeway of coarse beach grass to “The Knob.” This tiny round peninsula juts out into Buzzard’s Bay -WHAT A VIEW. To the far left, the Elizabeth Islands mound on the horizon. The towns of Wareham, Marion, Mattapoisett, and Fairhaven follow the coast from right to left. Sakonnet is the last town before the coast shifts around into Rhode Island Sound. After taking in the breathtaking scene I followed the main trail back to the beginning, coming upon a couple of chipmunks along the way. They didn’t pay any attention to me, just kept eating like I wasn’t there. It was only a mile and a half hike so I did it again this time adding the crossover trails. When I finished I went back to the small beach area - swam and read for a while- A perfect Day !! JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED !!!

More pics on Facebook

Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - Easy if you have the right directions
Parking -  5 - Not bad for where it is
Length-  4 -  Short, but so good you want to do it again - plus can add beach
Degree of Difficulty- 4- Main trail easy - cliff trail narrow and hills
Extras-  5 - Minutes from Woods Hole and downtown Falmouth. Boating, Kayaking,
Trail Markings-  5 - Easy to follow
Trail Maintenance-   5   Very good
Variation - 4 - Connecting trails from the main to the side
Scenic  - 5++ - FANTASTIC !!
Worth Returning - 5++ - No Doubt
Surface - Pine needles, stones, roots
Beach -   Yes
Facilities - No
What I liked - Everything
What I didn’t - Even the length didn’t bother me.

Rating 47 out of 50

D. Isabel Smith Monomoy River Conservation Lands, Harwich MA.

     
      A couple of days after I had done Bank St. Bog I decided to return to Harwich and hike D. Isabel Smith Monomoy River Conservation Lands. I knew my way from The bog so I went past there on Bank St to the end and made a right on Main St. All I had to do is stay on the road that changes it’s name to Orleans Harwich Road to Bay Rd, about a 5 mile drive. On the way I passed Thompson’s Field Conservation Area, a trail I hope to do next time I have a chance to do a new one. It’s easy to find the Harwich trails since they have the international hiking signs on the side of the road where they are located.
      The D. Isabel Smith Trail heads into the woods from the ample parking lot. The path starts out wide enough for two, with broken branches lining the pine needle walkway. It heads straight towards the Monomoy River. Before you get to the end of the trail there is another trail to the right. There are three signs there - the one pointing right reads - trail. The one pointing straight ahead reads - overlook. The other points back from where I came and reads parking. I headed for the overlook by staying on the first path to the end and taking a left instead of right, knowing by looking at the map before I started that going right would loop back to the other trail that was on the right a few minutes earlier. The trail to the overlook was narrow and still was lined by branches as it went slightly downhill.
The overlook had two big benches on a man made deck that has a great view of the river and Pleasant Bay.
       Following the same trail out, stay going straight instead of heading back to the parking area. The trail is narrow and hilly. It leads to a path in a utility area. Signs help so you can’t get lost. The trail heads back into the woods and stays narrow with some steeper hills. It come out where I first saw the signs. I headed back to the parking area. The hike was about 2 miles, but the hills make it so you have to work a little harder. His would be a good complement to Bank St. Bog. This one is woods the other open air and doing both would be about 5 miles.

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Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - Take exit 11 off Rte 6. Take left on to Brewster-Chatham Rd. then turn left on Orleans-Harwich Rd and then right on Bay Rd
Parking -  5 - A nice size lot
Length-  3 - Shorter than I like
Degree of Difficulty- 3 - some decent hills make up for length
Extras-  2  Scenic sit down area
Trail Markings-  5 - easy to follow with great signs
Trail Maintenance-   5   very good
Variation - 2  Can change which way you will
Scenic  - 4 - Through trees but real nice
Worth Returning - 4  Yes if I do Bank St Bog too
Surface - Pine needles
Beach -   no
Facilities - no
What I liked - The hills and the look out area
What I didn’t - The length

Rating 38 out of 50

Bank Street Bogs Nature Preserve, Harwich MA.

   
    Almost summer on Cape Cod. That means tons of traffic, full beaches that cost $15-$20 a day to park, work will be busier and hopefully some nice weather. We finally had real nice weather last week. I had planned to get in a few north side beaches since low tide would be right around the time I liked to walk. My plans changed because my friend that started walking with me in the beginning wanted to start up again. He has a dog and likes to walk the south side beaches. If not for him being there at the start I doubt I would have got in the habit of walking everyday. I thought I would be able to hike some trails later in the afternoons but another friend needed my help. That was good though, I got an extra work out every day since a lot of yard work was needed.
    I finally got my chance to hike a new trail, and of course it was a cold, cloudy day with bits of rain. I couldn’t go too far so I decided to go to Harwich, only two towns away. Bank Street Bogs Nature Preserve is on Bank St. off of Rte 28. Park next to the Harbormaster Workshop on the east side of the street. You can go to the left or the right as the grass path is a loop trail that has a few other paths that cut across. There are 44 nest boxes around the trail that house bluebirds and blue green tree swallows. There is one trail that goes into the woods and connects back to the bog. There are a few times I felt like I was walking in someone’s backyard, which kind of bothered me. The bog is not farmed so trees and bushes are growing instead of cranberries. Grassy Pond supplies the water to Cold Brook that flows through the bog to Saquatucket Harbor. The trail is 2 miles but by walking the connecting trails you can add more. I walk a working bog down the street from my house when I don’t have time to go to a trail. It was cool to see how it would look if they stopped farming it,

Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - Rte 28 to Bank St in Harwichport
Parking -  2 - Only 4 allotted spaces
Length-  4 - Not too bad
Degree of Difficulty- 5- Easy
Extras-  3  Bird watching
Trail Markings-  5 - easy to follow
Trail Maintenance-   5  good
Variation - 3 can go through woods and can take crossing paths or just go around perimeter
Scenic  - 3 -
Worth Returning - 3 On a nicer day to see the birds
Surface - Grass
Beach -   no
Facilities - no
What I liked - It was cool to see how a bog changes
What I didn’t - Seemed like walking through peoples yards a few times

Rating 38 out of 50

Nauset Marsh, Buttonbush & Doane Trails, Eastham MA

   
    February 18 was an awesome day sunshine and 50 degrees. It felt like 75 since the days before that were in the 20’s. I headed to Wellfleet to see how I would do walking up the steep sandy dunes that surround the beaches. I was almost out of gas and so was Wellfleet. Not one station was open so I turned back, wondering if I would be doing my daily walk on Rte 6 with a gas can. I made it to an open station in Eastham and saw a sign that said beaches with an arrow pointing south. I had never been down that road so I went there instead of going back to Wellfleet.
     I followed the signs to Coat Guard Beach. Surprisingly I had never gone there even though it is regularly ranked as one of the top ten beaches in the United States. It is where the Mayflower first sighted land on November 9, 1620 after 65 days at sea. I was just going to walk the beach when I saw a couple coming out of the wooded area next to the parking lot. A TRAIL - Awesome!!
     I went into the woods and down a hill to a bike path with a bridge that crossed the marsh. I had no idea where I was headed (normal day for me) so I followed the bike path until I saw a path that led into the woods. I saw signs for a visitor center so I stayed on that trail instead of going back on the bike path. The trail was narrow and hilly at times and eventually brought me back to the water and had some spectacular views. The tide was high and I still didn’t know exactly where I was so I turned around before I got to Salt Pond.
     When I got home I researched the area and found out I had been walking on Doane Trail and Nauset Marsh Trail. I had wanted to go back on another nice day but I didn’t have a chance until I hiked Fort Hill which is on the opposite side of the marsh. After doing Fort Hill I decided to park at the Salt Pond Visitor Center and start there. The Nauset Bike Path and two hiking trails start here, one is Buttonbush Trail, a short braille trail that is part boardwalk and the rest in the woods. The second is Nauset Marsh which loops around Salt Pond goes into the woods and comes back up to Buttonbush And also has a connecting trail that leads to Doane and Coast Guard beach. That day I did Buttonwood ,connected to Nauset Marsh and looped back to the Visitor Center.
      I was determined to start at the Visitor Center which boasts a comprehensive museum, a book store and frequent orientation movies in its indoor theatre. The other day I started at the beginning of Nauset Marsh Trail and connected to Doane Rock, Doane Memorial and Coast Guard Beach. All together over 6 miles. Some hills with steps either man made or roots. Sometimes walking beside the marsh, other times on the pavement of the bike path, and eventually walking the sandy beach. Just like Fort Hill these trails move into the top five. I Can’t wait to go back..

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Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - Off Rte 6 - look for National Seashore sign
Parking -  5 - More than enough
Length-  5   Can do as much as you would like
Degree of Difficulty- 4- easy with a few hills
Extras-  5 - Visitor Center, Bike Path, Coast Guard Beach, Kayaking
Trail Markings-  5 - plenty of signs
Trail Maintenance-   5  No problems
Variation - 5- The marsh, the woods, the beach, bike path
Scenic  - 5 - Fantastic when you aren’t in woods
Worth Returning - 5  Over and over
Surface - Grass, pavement, pine needles, sand, boardwalk
Beach -   yes
Facilities - yes

Rating 49 out of 50

Fort Hill, Eastham MA.

 
     When friends come to visit I usually take them for a scenic tour. I start here in Yarmouth and head east on Rte 28 through Dennis, Harwich, Chatham, and Orleans where the road connects with Rtes. 6 and 6A. We make many stops along the way so I can show them how different each part of The Cape is. We keep going east on Rte 6 through Eastham to Wellfleet and then turn back. The way back I take them on Rte 6A  through Brewster so they get a feel of the north side also.
     One of the best views is at Fort Hill which is part of The National Seashore. Not far from the Orleans rotary on the south side of the street, take Governor Prence Road to Fort Hill Road go past The Penniman House, a historical whalers house built in 1868. There are two parking areas, one on the left and one at the top of the hill where the road ends. You can start the trail at either one. I parked at the first one which has room for about 14 cars. The view even from here is incredible.
    There is a map of the National Seashore and a box with the trail guide at the beginning of the wide gravel path that leads into the meadow.  Not far down you have a choice of going left to Red Maple Swamp or staying straight to Skiff Hill. The boardwalk that goes over Red Maple Swamp was being repaired so it was closed so I went straight. Again I had a choice up ahead, follow a trail into the woods or keep following the main trail around the meadow towards the ocean. I went into the woods and found a gazebo that looks out over Salt Pond Bay and Coast Guard Beach. There are educational signs explaining the history and wildlife of this part of The Cape. There is one trail on the left and another on the right. The right one brings you back through woods to the meadow trail. The left one is pavement and leads past the end of The Red Maple Swamp trail and seasonal restrooms to Hemenway Landing. More parking and a place to put boats in the water with a beach. The tide was in my favor so instead of heading back to the trail I walked along the shore to see if there was a way back to the trail that way. There was a wide sand trail at first so I followed it. It kept getting smaller and I wondered if I should turn back. I kept seeing no hunting signs so I figured it was still a trail unless people hunt from boats. I finally saw what looked like a small entrance back to where the trail was. I had to pull myself up the steep hill that had eroded away, but I was right and came out at the meadow trail. Good thing I wasn’t 2 minutes slower or I would have probably scared a couple that was coming down the trail from the opposite way.

       I kept going towards the ocean, which I couldn’t see now because I was coming up to Skiff Hill passing a stone wall along the way. Instead of taking the trail that went up to Fort Hill Overlook I went back to the water and walked around and went up to the overlook from the other side. I could have walked back to my car down the street but I went down the part of the trail that starts at the overlook and went back around the meadow. There is parking for about 12 cars up here. By walking the beach and the trail the length was just about right. From now on when I show friends The Cape I will make sure we have enough time to hike Fort Hill. So Far the best of the best

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Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - ! ½ miles from rotary on the south side of Rte 6 in Eastham
Parking -  5 - 3 areas - lower area, top of hill, Hemenway St landing
Length-  5  Just right
Degree of Difficulty- 5 - easy
Extras-  4 - Pennimann House, Lookout area with historical ==== and high and low tide -----  flyer-- Next to town landing that can be used for beach, boating, fishing etc.
Trail Markings-  5 - plenty of signs - cell phone tour stop
Trail Maintenance-   5 They are working on Red Swamp boarwalk
Variation - 5- The pasture, the marsh, the woods
Scenic  - 5+ - One of the most spectacular views on The Cape
Worth Returning - 5  Over and over
Surface - Grass, pavement, pine needles, sand, boardwalk
Beach -   yes
Facilities - yes

Rating 49 out of 50

                                 

South Eastham & Upper Boat Meadow Conservation Areas

                                   
       Cape Cod has been  in a rainy, cloudy, chilly weather pattern for a while. It was quite a surprise when I woke up the other day and saw the sun. Perfect - hopefully I could get a new trail in before the weather returns to “normal”. I not only went for a new trail but a new town - Eastham. Rte 6A and 28 meet with Rte 6 at a rotary that leads through Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and ends in Provincetown. South Eastham Street is a ½ mile on the left. Take that to Arrowhead drive then another left at Peach Orchard Lane. Take this dead end until you reach South Eastham Conservation Area.
      There are two trails one to the left of the parking area and the other by the trail sign. I went for the sign trail first. The path was wide and right away there was another trail on the right. The side trail is short and just loops back to the main trail, almost up and back. You will see red markers on some trees when walking through the thick forest that is also home of Jeremiah’s Gutter. The trail splits not too far in  and I went to the right which turned out to be short, leads over a small wooded bridge and ends at The Cape Cod Rail Trail. I turned around and went back to the split. I followed the red signs and went close to a house and a pond. I saw an SUV up ahead and thought the trail was bringing me to a driveway. Stupid me - It was mine - LOL !! The trail had looped and I came out on the opening I had seen on the left when I had first parked.

       I had read it was a 1.5 hour walk. That usually means 5 - 6 miles, I had just done 1 mile. Either these people were very slow or I missed something. I went back in the woods and looked for another trail. This time where the red trail had started to loop back to the left, I decided to bear to the right.  This trail also stopped at the Rail Trail. I turned around and kept walking to the right and saw pavement ahead. I also saw another sign Upper Boat Meadow Conservation Area. I had no idea where I was so I walked down the road and I realized I was at the rotary. On the way back I noticed there were blue markers on some of the trees. Two trails that lead into each other, but still didn’t add up to the length that I anticipated. It was cool finding out for myself, but I kept thinking how crazy that the sight I looked at didn’t mention it. I found this map with more research after the hike.
     By the time I got back to my car it had clouded up, but I wanted to check out Skaket Beach in Orleans. It was low tide, but there were a lot of deep tide pools. I went out as far as I could go over sea grass. I am so happy I was still wearing my hiking boots. I saw the grass moving as I walked through it and saw all these crabs scurrying for their holes in the sand. All I could think of is if I were barefoot they would be going after my toes instead of trying to hide in the sand.

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Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - Not far off highway
Parking -  3 - 5-8 cars
Length-  4 - Not bad once you figure it out
Degree of Difficulty- 5 - easy
Extras-  3 - Bike Trail
Trail Markings-  3 - It would be perfect if they would just tell you what the markings mean at the beginning
Trail Maintenance-   5
Variation - 3- Yes but you have to experiment
Scenic  - 2- Not really
Worth Returning - 2  probably not
Surface - Dirt, pine needles, roots
Beach -   no
Facilities - no

Rating 37 out of 50

                                 

Fresh Pond Conservation Area & Johnny Kelley Recreation Area, Dennis MA.

 

     Cape Cod weather so far in May has been terrible. Cloudy, rainy and windy. I don’t usually hike new trails in bad conditions, but it’s been a tough month so far. Usually when things are tough I go to the beach, but in this weather it just makes it worse. I didn’t want to go far so I decided to go to Dennis and try two different trails. The first, Fresh Pond Conservation Lands which boasts a dog park.

 The second, not far away, Johnny Kelley Recreational Area. This one has a life course and a Braille trail.

        Fresh pond is on Rte 134 between Rte 28 and Upper County Rd. The parking lot holds about 8 cars. There are two small fenced in areas for the dogs to play. No dogs on this rainy day. Straight ahead is the pond and I noticed a trail next to it that lead into the woods. As I walked to it I noticed another trail on my right next to the second dog area. Neither trail looked marked so I took the left trail by the pond. Not far down I noticed another trail to my right. I ignored it and kept going, deciding to figure it out later. It had rained even harder the night before so the trail, which has many spots to look at the pond, was very muddy. There was small logs in many of the extra muddy areas to act as small stepping bridges. Halfway down the trail I saw blue and orange markings on some trees. Turns out I was on the orange trail which loops back to the trail I had ignored a little earlier. The orange trail became the blue trail and right away split off. I stayed on the blue trail that still followed along side of the pond. I found out later that the split off was an extra narrow trail and the one that started behind the second dog area. The blue trail I had stayed on ended up going almost halfway around the pond before it just ended. One part ended at the pond, while another path looked like it would go farther but ended in the middle of pricker bushes. Ouch !! I turned around and followed the blue trail which went real close to Rte 134 and ended up right behind the first dog area. I hadn’t seen that trail when I came into the park. Across the street is another trail, but that is real short and loops around between Rte 134 and Center St. The hike turned out to be close to 3 miles only because I went back around a few times to check out the small connecting trails and the one across the street.
       Take a left on Rte 134 from the parking area and go over Rte 6 and take the first left on Bob Crowell Road to get to Johnny Kelley Recreation Area. Basketball and tennis courts, softball and soccer fields and a playground are surrounded by an ample parking area. The trail starts behind the playground and pavilion. The path is wide and follows the fields and loops back to the beginning. There are many fitness stops along the way. These are all up to date and well kept. The full course is 1 mile, the big loop is .6 mile and the small loop is .4 mile. There is a sign at the beginning that can also be read in Braille. It reads:
Welcome to the Dennis Braille Trail. Stop often to listen, smell and feel. Use of these senses will add pleasure to your walk. Follow the rope on your right side of the trail. A disc in the rope indicates a stop. Reach out above the disc to locate the signs for information or directions.
        Despite the rain another good day of exploring the different trails of Cape Cod. The sun came out a couple of days after I did these trails. I hadn’t done Callery- Darling in a while and decided to go back. Wow !! What a difference !!
Color is so much better than black and white. I can’t wait to find new trails, but it will be fun to see the trails I have already done in the summer after doing them this past winter.

                                                                 FRESH POND

Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5  On Rte 134 in between Rte 28 and Upper County Rd.
Parking -  3- About 8 cars  
Length-  3 - Even with the extra trails just not long enough
Degree of Difficulty- 4   Easy but muddy
Extras-  3 - Dog park
Trail Markings-  3 - They don’t start until the middle of the trails
Trail Maintenance-   4  Needs a little work
Variation - 3- There is but too short
Scenic  - 3- The pond
Worth Returning - 2  probably not
Surface - Dirt, pine needles, roots
Beach -   no
Facilities - no

Rating 33 out of 50

                                                              JOHNNY KELLEY

Accessibility - 5  Exit 9 off Rte 6, north on 134 then 1st left to the end of the road
Parking -  5-  Plenty
Length-  3-  1 mile, but you can do as many laps as you want
Degree of Difficulty- 5 - Easy
Extras-  5 - Life course and all the courts, fields and playground
Trail Markings-  5  signs telling all about different stuff
Trail Maintenance-   5
Variation - 1  Circle
Scenic  - 1-
Worth Returning - 4 - for the life course
Surface - Hard packed dirt
Beach -   no
Facilities - yes

Rating 39 out of 50

Happy Mothers Day / 6 Month Reflections

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.  ~Tenneva Jordan

    Mothers Day 49 yrs ago I was 5 yrs old and decided to take my first hike. My mother was working at a restaurant and we were at my grandmothers house in Framingham MA. with my aunts, uncles and cousins. I decided I should be with my mother and started walking with my 3 yr old cousin down the street over the railroad tracks across Rte 135. We were headed in the right direction and had gone almost a mile of the 8 mile walk when another Uncle drove by us. He glanced over at first when he saw 2 youngsters walking alone. A minute later he realized what he saw, turned around and brought us back to my grandmothers. I’m so lucky that together my mother and I can still laugh about it today - I think my father is still pissed though. Lol
    Anyways --- HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM I Love You !!!
     I have been walking/hiking everyday for just over 6 months and have lost 80 lbs. For the 1st 2 ½ months I walked Seagull Beach in Yarmouth, West Dennis Beach, the cranberry bog by the Yarmouth House on Rte 28 or the mall with a friend. He stopped due to some traveling and work related reasons, but the other day we walked Seagull beach together for the 1st time since January. It was nice to go back to the beginning - I really noticed the difference. When we walked back then it seemed so much harder. I always used a point up ahead as a reference to how much further we had to go. Once we made it there I would use another. This time we were almost done when I realized I never even thought about it and laughed at how hard it had been in the beginning.
      When we started I kept track of the miles we did each day. Starting in February I decided to keep better records. Now I record - where I go, miles, calories lost, temperature and conditions. I did 8 different places in February, 7 new ones, 15 different ones in March, 8 new, and 19 different in April, 9 new.
Callery- Darling leads with 30 different times with 20 coming in February, only 4 in April. Next is The cranberry bog down the street with 7, I do that one when time is an issue. RJ Syrjala is third with 5, same thing It is close and another bog is connected to the short trail. Four times I have walked/hiked Sandy Pond, Historical Society of Yarmouth, Crows Pasture, Flax Pond and Chapin Beach.
These are my favorite trails so far:

1   John Wing     Brewster                                        
2   Crows Pasture  Dennis
3   Callery Darling   Yarmouth
4   Indian Lands    Dennis
5   HSOY    Yarmouth

My least favorites have been Horse Pond in Yarmouth and Hokum Rock in Dennis. They are just too confusing without any markings.
   The beaches I like the best are still Chapin - Mayflower and Corporation in Dennis, the view is breathtaking and the tide goes out so far. Plus I know when and how the tide comes in so I won’t get caught in it.
   27 trails down with 70 something to go. There are many trails I have only hiked once and I would like to again. Some I will but with so many more to go - who knows. All I do know is I can’t wait to see where the next 6 months bring me !!
Oh yeah -- Happy Mothers Day to you too C. W. !!